Process or Results

What drives your business decision making? Are you all about the process or the results? Which is better?

Let’s look at the two methodologies:

Process Driven

People and organizations who are process driven value how things are done over the outcome of these actions. This can be a very effective style for some professions; lawyers, police officers, procurement professionals. The ones who do it well balance the need for process control and adherence with the need for a successful outcome.

Results Driven

A results driven culture is fairly self-explanatory. These people and organizations judge the effectiveness of actions by the outcomes they produce. How the results came about is less important. This is a productive style that works best when coupled with an awareness that although process is secondary in nature, it is still of some value and needs to be considered for ongoing business success.

When a Style Fails Organizations Down

Issues arise when an organization becomes married to one of these styles to the exclusion of the other. Organizations that achieve results without consideration of processes van find themselves with organizational cultural issues or even worse ethical concerns. Likewise, organizations who pride themselves on process over results become sluggish and bureaucratic. Efficiency levels suffer and employees disengage from high performance.

So What to do?

Balance. Determine what processes are essential to what your organization is trying to achieve. Focus on the processes than enhance results and do away with the unnecessary protocols that can hinder results.

A results oriented streamlined process may be all your organization needs to ‘do less with more’. The efficiencies created will increase morale and further inspire productivity and a culture with a results-orientation.